Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “variable stars”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

The Star Formation History of Orion and its Environs

During this period of performance, we have obtained the following observations and carried out the analysis of the Orion associations itemized below. 1. Quest Optical Photometry: The photometric survey carries out with the Quest camera is finished. The strips at declinations +1 degree and -1 degree have already been processed. Photometry for a total of around 400,000 stars was obtained in these two strips with the Quest camera pipeline. Around 24,000 variables were picked out of this total by our variability software. Of these, around 2,500 stars fall above the main sequence and so were picked as candidates for spectroscopic follow-up. 2. Slit spectroscopy of bright candidates: Spectra for some 800 candidate PMS stars were obtained with the FAST spectrograph at the SAO 1.5m telescope in Mt. Hopkins. The spectra are being analyzed; 300 stars have been confirmed as young. 3. Multifiber spectroscopy: The first test of the multifiber spectrograph Hectoechelle were carried out in December 2003. One field of the Orion Nebula Cluster was observed with Hectochelle at three wavelength settings. A total of 157 spectra were obtained. Of these, 63 stars have been confirmed as Classical T Tauri stars, and 36 additional stars need further follow up. A paper is in preparation. 4. UBVRI photometry: We were granted time with the 4-shooter CCD Mosaic Camera at the SAO 1.2m telescope, to obtain UBVRI photometry of a subset of 53 newly identified T Tauri stars in the strips centered at DEC=-1 and +l. This sample is composed of strong Halpha emitting PMS stars (Classical T Tauri stars) located mostly in the Orion OB l b association, around the Orion Belt area. We have estimated mass accretion rates for 22 for these stars using the U photometry and the calibration of Gullbring et al. (1998), and found it to be similar to that of young stars in associations of similar age. 5. Near and mid-IR photometry: During the winter of 2003, we used the IR Camera on the SAO 1.2m telescope, to obtain L- band photometry of a set of the newly identified Orion OB l a and l b stars, in order to look for IR excess emission coming from the hotter inner parts of circumstellar disks. These data is being combined with the GEMINI/OSCIR 10 micron photometry obtained during 2002 and the mass accretion rates to determine the properties of disks in Ori lb. A paper is presently on preparation.

Calvet, Nuria↗
NASA NTRS1972

A search for He-weak stars in very young clusters.

Spectral classification has been carried out for B-type stars in Ori OBl Ib, NGC 2362, IC 5146 and NGC 2264. Six stars with weak helium lines for their UBV colors were found in Ori OBl Ib, one in NGC 2362 which might be helium variable, and none in IC 5146. The star Walker No 109 (B6V) in NGC 2264 is a helium variable which has developed an outstanding absorption feature between 4144 and 4156 A.

Bernacca, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Hydromagnetics and period changes in RR Lyrae stars

Balazs-Detre and Detre have drawn an interesting parallel between the observed time scales of variability in the sun and in RR Lyrae stars. Additional information is presented here to support their conjecture that an analog of the solar magnetic cycle is operating in RR Lyrae stars. Rough considerations of the expected changes of photospheric radius and of magnetic energy content during a magnetic cycle suggest that the pulsation periods of these stars should also change in time. Within the large observational and theoretical uncertainties, the predicted period changes are compatible with those observed.

Stothers, R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

X-ray photometry and spectroscopy of T Tauri stars

Follow-up Einstein X-ray observations of four fields containing pre-main-sequence stars are presented. A search has been made for evidence of variability on time scales of hours and of 1 year. A large, slow flare in AS 205, and the X-ray disappearance of AA Tau are reported. Otherwise, T Tauri stars appear no more variable in X-rays than do active solar-like stars. An attempt has been made to determine spectral parameters for a number of the brighter sources. X-ray absorption column densities are consistent with those inferred from A(v), and T(x) of about 10-million K, in all cases. The importance of these observations for models of T Tauri stars and their coronae is considered.

Walter, F. M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Long-term changes in ultraviolet P Cygni profiles observed with Copernicus

The incidence and nature of variability occurring on time scales of years in the ultraviolet P Cygni profiles of 15 O and B stars are investigated using spectrophotometric data obtained with the Copernicus satellite. It is found that some change in at least a few details of the P Cygni profiles is evident in almost every case, that the changes in a few stars appear to represent substantial variations in the column densities of the particular ions observed, and that the changes in other stars are minor in nature and do not result from significant alterations in the quantity of material in the stellar winds. Most of the narrow absorption features are shown to be invariant in velocity, although their strengths have apparently changed in certain cases. The nature of the changes observed in each of the program stars is briefly described, the time scale for variability in the stellar winds is considered, and two stars (Zeta Pup and Delta Ori A) are identified for which some alteration in the total amount of material in the stellar wind has taken place. It is suggested that the narrow absorption features probably represent temperature gradients or plateaus in the stellar-wind velocity fields or may be caused by flat regions in the height dependence of the wind velocity.

Snow, T. P., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Problems and programming for analysis of IUE high resolution data for variability

Observations of variability in stellar winds provide an important probe of their dynamics. It is crucial however to know that any variability seen in a data set can be clearly attributed to the star and not to instrumental or data processing effects. In the course of analysis of IUE high resolution data of alpha Cam and other O, B and Wolf-Rayet stars several effects were found which cause spurious variability or spurious spectral features in our data. Programming was developed to partially compensate for these effects using the Interactive Data language (IDL) on the LASP PDP 11/34. Use of an interactive language such as IDL is particularly suited to analysis of variability data as it permits use of efficient programs coupled with the judgement of the scientist at each stage of processing.

Grady, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

SIM PlanetQuest Key Project Precursor Observations to Detect Gas Giant Planets Around Young Stars

We present a review of precursor observing programs for the SIM PlanetQuest Key project devoted to detecting Jupiter mass planets around young stars. In order to ensure that the stars in the sample are free of various sources of astrometric noise that might impede the detection of planets, we have initiated programs to collect photometry, high contrast images, interferometric data and radial velocities for stars in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. We have completed a high contrast imaging survey of target stars in Taurus and the Pleiades and found no definitive common proper motion companions within one arcsecond (140 AU) of the SIM targets. Our radial velocity surveys have shown that many of the target stars in Sco-Cen are fast rotators and a few stars in Taurus and the Pleiades may have sub-stellar companions. Interferometric data of a few stars in Taurus show no signs of stellar or sub-stellar companions with separations of <5 mas. The photometric survey suggests that approximately half of the stars initially selected for this program are variable to a degree (1(sigma) >0.1 mag) that would degrade the astrometric accuracy achievable for that star. While the precursor programs are still a work in progress, we provide a comprehensive list of all targets ranked according to their viability as a result of the observations taken to date. By far, the observable that removes the most targets from the SIM-YSO program is photometric variability.

astrophysics↗
NASA NTRS1988

Monitoring solar-type stars for luminosity variations

Since 1984, researchers have made more than 1500 differential photometric b (471 nm) and y (551 nm) measurements of three dozen solar-like lower main sequence stars whose chromospheric activity was previosly studied by O. C. Wilson. Here, researchers describe their methodology and the statistical tests used to distinguish intrinsic stellar variability from observational and instrument errors. The incidence of detected variability among the program and comparison stars is summarized. Among the 100 plus pairs of stars measured differentially, only a dozen were found that were unusually constant, with peak-to-peak amplitudes of seasonal mean brightness smaller than 0.3 percent (0.003 mag) over a two-to-three-year interval.

Lockwood, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Augmentation of the IUE Ultraviolet Spectral Atlas

The IUE Ultraviolet Spectral Atlas and the first addendum were published by Wu et al. in printed and machine readable versions. This atlas and addendum contain UV spectra of 315 stars with spectral types ranging from O3 to M5 and many spectral type-luminosity class combinations. There were three criteria for selecting these stars: (1) they were not spectroscopic binaries or variables with significant changes in magnitude or color, (2) they must have well-determined spectral types (many are MK standards), and (3) the stars should not be heavily reddened. Further augmentation of the atlas is desirable to provide a more complete coverage of the spectral type-luminosity class combinations and more than one star per combination. The extra spectral type-luminosity class combinations reduce the need for interpolation. The extra stars within a given combination guard against variability and peculiarity, and allow for a finite range of temperature, metallicity and gravity. The previous atlas and addendum presented data that were obtained through the eleventh episode under IUE programs with C.-C. Wu and D. Burstein as principal investigators. In this second addendum, we present the spectra obtained by Wu's programs during the twelfth through seventeenth episodes: SALCW, SAMCW, SANCW, SAOCW, SAPCW and SAQCW. During the period between July 1989 and September 1994, Wu observed 183 stars under these programs. Most of these observations are high quality trails or pseudo-trails (multiple exposures in the large aperture).

Wu, Chi-Chao↗
NASA NTRS1982

Low resolution ultraviolet and optical spectrophotometry of symbiotic stars

Low resolution International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra combined with optical spectrophotometry provide absolute flux distributions for seven symbiotic variables from 1200 to 6450 A. For five stars (EG And, BF Cyg, CI Cyg, AG Peg, and Z And) the data are representative of the quiescent/out-of-eclipse energy distributions; for CH Cyg and AX Per, the observations were obtained following their atest outburst in 1977 and 1978, respectively. The de-reddened distributions reveal a remarkable diversity of both line spectra and continua. While the optical and near infrared regions lambda = 5500 A) are well represented by single component stellar models, multicomponent flux distributions are required to reproduce the ultraviolet continua.

Slovak, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Dust formation around M-type stars

IRAS LRS spectra of M Mira variable have shown variation in the appearance of the 9.7 micron silicate feature, which is correlated with the shape of light curve. The LRS spectra of 100 Mira variables have been studied using simple dust shell models containing mixtures of silicate and aluminum oxide dust grains. It has been shown that the aluminum oxide grains account for the observed broad feature around 12 microns and that the variation of the spectra can be interpreted in terms of the variation of the temperature at the inner boundary of silicate dust shell. It has been proposed that silicate mantle growth on aluminum oxide grains is a possible explanation for the results. In this report, the model spectra are calculated taking account of silicate mantle growth, and the physical parameters which may determine the appearance of the 9.7 micron feature in M Mira variables are investigated. In the model calculation it is assumed that aluminum oxide grains are already formed at the bottom of the circumstellar envelope because of their high condensation temperature. The growth of silicate mantle and the motion of gas and grains from r=r(sub 0), where the mantle growth starts, are investigated. Sticking and sputtering processes due to the relative motion of grain to the ambient gas are taken into account. The thermal velocity is assumed to be negligible to the drift velocity. Acceleration by radiation pressure is considered in the gas motion equation. The formal solution is integrated to obtain the emergent spectra. Physical conditions inside r(sub 0) are regarded as boundary conditions. Observed spectra are compared to model spectra to investigate the conditions at the bottom of circumstellar envelope. In modeling the envelope, a parameter C(sub l) is introduced to take account of the density fluctuation of the envelope phenomenologically.

Onaka, Takashi↗
NASA NTRS1990

HD 51956 - A supergiant in an interacting binary

IUE ultraviolet spectral observations reveal that the F supergiant HD 51956 contains a hot companion star partially obscured by warm plasma. Variable absorption features are analogous to those in the strongly interacting system HD 207739. The F type component is apparently transferring matter to a subluminous B type star which originally was the primary component.

Parsons, Sidney B.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Ultraviolet observations of cool stars. VI - L alpha and Mg II emission line profiles /and a search for flux variability/ in Arcturus

High-precision, high-resolution profiles of the L alpha and Mg II k chromospheric emission lines from Arcturus (alpha Boo) obtained with the Princeton Experimental Package aboard the Copernicus satellite are presented. Asymmetries seen in the profiles of these lines are probably intrinsic to the star, rather than the result of interstellar absorption. In contrast to previous observations of the Ca II K emission line, no evidence is found during a three-year period for variability in the profiles or in the total fluxes from these lines on time scales ranging from hours to months. Also presented is a flux profile of the O I 1302 line and flux upper limits for L beta, O VI 1032, Si III 1206, and O V 1218.

Mcclintock, W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Active phenomena in the pre-main sequence Herbig Ae star HD 163296

Observations by IUE of the short-term variability of the Mg II and Ca II resonance lines in the Herbig Ae star HD 163296 are presented. Evidence that these lines show a phenomenon of rotational modulation, similar to the one observed in AB Aur, another Herbig Ae star is found. The variations in the spectrum of HD 163296 are even more conspicuous than in the spectrum of AB Aur. Magnetically structured winds may thus be a widespread phenomenon among the pre-main sequence Herbig Ae/Be stars.

Catala, C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Mass loss from interacting close binary systems

The three well-defined classes of evolved binary systems that show evidence of present and/or past mass loss are the cataclysmic variables, the Algols, and Wolf-Rayet stars. It is thought that the transformation of supergiant binary systems into the very short-period cataclysmic variables must have been a complex process. The new evidence that has recently been obtained from the far ultraviolet spectra that a certain subclass of the Algols (the Serpentids) are undergoing fairly rapid evolution is discussed. It is thought probable that the remarkable mass outflow observed in them is connected with a strong wind powered by accretion. The origin of the circumbinary clouds or flat disks that probably surround many strongly interacting binaries is not clear. Attention is also given to binary systems with hot white dwarf or subdwarf components, such as the symbiotic objects and the BQ stars; it is noted that in them both components may be prone to an enhanced stellar wind.

Plavec, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Evolution of helium stars

The evolution of helium stars in the mass range from 4 to 15 solar masses has been followed from the initial helium main sequence to the end of carbon burning in the core, with the use of Carson's (1976) radiative opacities. As compared with earlier work based on smaller opacities, the main-sequence band in the H-R diagram is now both wider and cooler than before. If neutrino losses are neglected in the stellar models, the phase of carbon burning in the core occurs in the red-supergiant region; otherwise, it occurs, as it does in the earlier models with or without neutrino emission, close to the helium main sequence. Observational data for Wolf-Rayet stars and R Coronae Borealis variables are found to lend some support to the present models.

Stothers, R.↗